ANC applauds schoolboy, team

Johannesburg - King David Victory Park deputy head boy
Joshua Broomberg and his two national debate team-mates embody South Africa's
constitutional principles, the ANC said on Tuesday.

This was after they showed support for the Palestinian
people by wearing a Palestinian scarf at the World Schools Debating
Championships (WSDC) in Thailand, spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

"The African National Congress applauds the
principled stance taken by these students to voice their opposition to the
injustice of the Israeli aggression against the defenceless people of
Palestine."

The ruling party believed that in the interests of
entrenching democracy and promoting a just world order, a nation needed to
produce conscious and activist young people determined to contribute to a more
humane world.

Earlier on Tuesday, the SA Board of Jewish Education said
in a statement that Broomberg had apologised for the furore over the picture of
him wearing the Palestinian scarf.

"This has been a learning opportunity for the
17-year-old pupil concerned [Broomberg] and he has both explained his stance in
a later posting and genuinely apologised for the hurt it produced," the
board said in a statement.

"We acknowledge that the picture posted was
insensitive and hurtful and was seen as such in the community.

"We appreciate his clarification to the community
and he has further submitted an apology to his school for his actions. His
apology has been accepted."

The board said Broomberg had had a great deal to offer to
the school over the years and had achieved notable successes.

"We recognise that the conflict that is taking place
in the Middle East is devastating and the loss of all life and injuries
sustained are deeply painful to us," the board said.

The board considered the matter to be closed, with no
further action to be taken.

The ANC called upon all progressive and peace loving
South Africans, including those of Jewish faith, to support the actions of
Broomberg and others like him who were prepared to stand for a better world.

Online petition

Broomberg was tagged last week in a photo on social media
platform Facebook with two others wearing the keffiyeh, recognised as a
Palestinian symbol, and Palestinian badges.

The picture's caption read: "Team South Africa wearing
Palestinian badges and keffiyehs to show our opposition to human rights
violations carried out against the people of Palestine. #WSDC2014".

The online petition was launched soon thereafter, calling
for Broomberg's removal as deputy head boy and as a member of the school's
student representative council, as he had brought the school into disrepute.

By Tuesday afternoon, over 2 000 people had signed the
petition.

On Friday, Broomberg posted a statement on his Facebook
page where he apologised as the picture was not intended to "create an
uproar", "offend, or upset".

However, he said he was a proud South African Jew, proud
to attend a Jewish day school, and was also a Zionist.

He believed in Israel's right to exist and defend itself,
while all citizens in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza had an absolute right to
live in peace and security.

Broomberg said while he loved and supported the state of
Israel, he still rejected and criticised some of its actions.